Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum dasycarpum
King-of-the-meadow, late meadow-rue, meadow-weed, muskrat-weed, pigamon pubescent, tall meadow-rue
purple meadow-rue
erect, coarse, 50-300 cm.
erect, stout, 40-150(-200) cm.
blade ternately and pinnately decompound;
leaflets light to dark green, cordate or nearly orbiculate to ovate or obovate, apically undivided to 2-3(-5)-lobed or -toothed, 11-68 × 5-70 mm, length 0.8-2.6 times width, membranous to firm, margins scarcely revolute, lobe margins entire, surfaces abaxially pubescent to glabrous.
blade: basal and proximal cauline 3-5x-ternately compound;
leaflets brownish green to dark green or bright green, ovate to cuneate-obovate, apically undivided or 2-3(-5)-lobed, 15-60 × 8-45 mm, length 0.9-2.6 times width, usually leathery with veins prominent abaxially, margins often revolute, lobe margins entire, surfaces abaxially usually pubescent and/or papillose (i.e., with very minute sessile glands).
racemes or panicles to corymbs, apically ± rounded, many flowered;
peduncles and pedicels often pubescent.
panicles, apically ± acutely pyramidal, many flowered;
peduncles and pedicels usually glabrous, rarely pubescent or stipitate-glandular.
unisexual or bisexual (sometimes bisexual with very few stamens);
sepals 4(-6), white to purplish, elliptic-rounded, 2-3.5 mm;
filaments ascending, white to purplish, filiform to distinctly clavate, 1.5-7 mm, usually rigid;
anthers 0.5-1.5(-2.1) mm, usually blunt or only slightly apiculate.
usually unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants;
sepals 4(-6), whitish, lanceolate, 3-5 mm;
filaments white to purplish, filiform, scarcely dilated distally, 2-6.5 mm, flexible;
anthers 1-3.6(-4) mm, usually strongly apiculate.
numerous, sessile to stipitate;
stipe 0.5-1.5(-2.4) mm;
body ellipsoid, 3-5 mm, prominently veined, usually pubescent;
beak usually persistent, straight or coiled distally, 0.6-2.5 mm, about 1/2 length of achene body.
numerous, sessile or nearly sessile;
stipe 0-1.1 mm;
body ovoid to fusiform, 2-4.6 mm, prominently veined, usually pubescent and/or glandular;
beak often dehiscent as fruit matures, ± straight, filiform, 1.5-4.7(-6) mm, about as long as achene body.
= 126.
Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum dasycarpum
The ovaries change from white to purplish, becoming light green, then darker green, and finally brown as fruits mature.
Because of the polymorphic nature of Thalictrum pubescens, a proliferation of names for minor morphologic variants has resulted. Field studies (M. Park 1992) have shown that too much morphologic variation occurs within populations to support the recognition of previously described taxa. Plants in New England and northeastern Canada often have a corymbose inflorescence and longer filaments and achene beaks.
This species is often incorrectly treated in floras as T. polygamum Sprengel, an invalid name.
The Iroquois used Thalictrum pubescens medicinally a a wash for head and neck, to stop nosebleeds, and to treat gall (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Thalictrum dasycarpum is a variable species similar to, and possibly intergrading with, T. pubescens. Glabrous variants of T. dasycarpum have been treated as T. dasycarpum var. hypoglaucum. Glabrous and glandular (stipitate and papillate) forms are found throughout the range of the species and occur together in some populations.
Native Americans used Thalictrum dasycarpum medicinally to reduce fever, cure cramps, as a stimulant for horses, and as a love charm (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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